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Ben Bradshaw’s speech to the Royal Television Society
Andrew | 17 Sep 2009, 14:52
C&binet comment: Ben Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
I delivered the keynote speech to open the Royal Television Society’s biennial conference in Cambridge last night.
I argued yesterday the future of the BBC is closely tied up with the future of our broadcasting sector, and our broadcasting sector is central to the success of our creative industries as a whole. As a Government we are pushing ahead on a range of fronts — such as peer-to-peer file sharing, rolling out next generation broadband, and a consultation on allowing product placement — to ensure that the media industry can come out stronger than ever from the current global downturn.
I also spoke about how the BBC has used the digital revolution to grow over the past decade, and what that means for the private sector side of the mixed broadcasting economy in Britain that has swept up awards and revenue from around the world. James Murdoch has recently argued for state sponsorship of broadcasting to be cut right back. My view is that the BBC has probably expanded enough — but I offer that as the start, not an end, of what I hope will be a national conversation about the future of a national institution.
Whatever its exact size, the BBC is going to remain central to the future success not just of our broadcasting industries but our creative sector as a whole. Fresh from one gathering of creative minds, I am looking forward to the next, and to seeing progress on creative rights, new business models, securing finance and finding talent when we meet at the c&binet forum next month.
Forgive the correction, but 2 meg to rural areas and 40 meg to ‘some cities’ is not next generation broadband. I don’t know who you have been listening to, probably Ofcom or BT, but certainly not the far sighted people in other countries who are lighting fibre to homes and delivering true next gen access. The current broadband in the UK is delivered by copper, and anyone who understands physics knows its limitations. Digital Britain is not getting next gen, they are getting a patched up Victorian phone network being asked to do more than it is capable of. This is going to stiffle innovation and make us a laughing stock at the next olympics when we are visited by the real movers and shakers who expect to be able to upload their content back home to relatives. (just because they can do it where they live).
If we are going to rule the waves once more then someone has to take the bull by the horns and get it rolling. The incumbent isn’t going to do it, they are making a nice profit for fat cats and shareholders. Government has to do it. somehow.
And the media are big enough to look after themselves, they have had it good for far too long, government needs to look to the infrastructure and make sure it is good enough for the next generation. It isn’t good enough for this one let alone the next.
chris
By cyberdoyle on 2009 09 17
I see that you are also following the Digital Britain blog - it’s good to have your views feeding into that process too. Digital Britain has to be an over-arching approach - for both content and infrastructure. The debate at the RTS Convention, and the Edinburgh TV Festival before that, certainly suggests that plenty of people in the media are looking to Government to take decisions on the future media landscape.
By Roger on 2009 09 24
Roger, it is vital that we take a hand in our destiny and try to get grass roots opinion to decision makers so they are informed by the people and not by the big boys with the most clout.
By cyberdoyle on 2009 09 24
The media are big enough to look after themselves,they have had it good for far too long,government needs to look to the infrastructure and make sure it is good enough for the next generation.home theatre
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